Yokoso Japan!

The itinerary is the starting point to your tour, but it’s not set in stone. Your group leader may make changes leading up to departure.

Day 1, Monday June 9: Overnight Flight

Depart from the USA.

Day 2, Tuesday June 10: Tokyo

Welcome to Japan! Arrive in the bustling, neon city of Tokyo. Meet your ACIS Tour Manager and transfer to your hotel for an arrival briefing and dinner. (D)

Day 3, Wednesday June 11: Tokyo

Japan's capital is a densely packed visual feast, with lots to see and do. We'll start with a guided sightseeing tour with a local expert. See the Meiji Shrine, the Imperial Palace Plaza, Asakusa Kannon Temple, and enjoy shopping on Nakamise Street. You'll also see the Tokyo Skytree Tower and make a stop at the Pokemon Center Skytree Town. In the evening you may choose an optional Karaoke night in Tokyo. (B,D)

Day 4, Thursday June 12: Tokyo

This morning, visit the famous Tsukiji Fish Market, explore the colorful and trendy Harajuku neighborhood—a hub for Japanese pop culture—and make a photo stop at the busiest intersection in the world, Shibuya Crossing. Then you will visit a local school and practice your Japanese with the students (if not available, another cultural visit will be substituted). You will also have a chance to learn about the similarities and differences between American and Japanese school days. (B,D)

Day 5, Friday June 13: Atami

Mount Fuji is the highest point in Japan at 12,389 feet and one of the country's three revered “holy mountains.” Journey to the breathtaking Kawaguchiko 5th Station, the base point from which most hikers start their ascent to the summit. After lunch, continue to Hakone for sightseeing, including a cruise on the stunning Lake Ashi. Then enjoy a round-trip ride on the nearby Hakone Komagatake Ropeway, an aerial tram that offers spectacular views as it takes you to the summit of imposing Mount Komagatake. Continue on to the coastal resort city of Atami in time for dinner. (B,D)

Day 6, Saturday June 14: Kyoto

Travel at speeds of up to 200 mph as you journey to Kyoto aboard the unique Japan Rail Shinkansen bullet train. Arrive in the former Japanese imperial capital of Kyoto and visit the gorgeous Nijo Castle, built as a residence for the Tokugawa shoguns, before dinner tonight. (B,D)

Day 7, Sunday June 15: Kyoto

Wake up in Kyoto, where all of the emperors of Japan lived from 794 until 1868. We'll travel like emperors on a full-day sightseeing tour of Kyoto which includes the shimmering Kinkakuji, also known as the Golden Pavilion, and the Heian Shrine, built to celebrate the 1,100th anniversary of the city's founding. In the afternoon you will have the opportunity to try your hand at Yuzen Dyeing at Marumasu Nishimura-ya before continuing to see the mountainside Kiyomizu-dera Temple and the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine, a Shinto temple famous for its more than 5,000 vibrant orange toriis, or symbolic gateways. This evening is free for you to discover one of Kyoto's many temples or gardens at your own pace. (B,D)

Day 8, Monday June 16: Kyoto

Enjoy a full-day excursion to nearby Nara, once the imperial capital of Japan and home to some of the country's most culturally significant attractions. Begin your sightseeing tour with a visit to the magnificent Todaiji Temple, considered one of the world's oldest and largest wooden structures. Then explore serene Nara Park, noted for its free-roaming deer as well as some of the country's oldest Buddhist temples, before seeing Kasuga Shrine, famous for its hundreds of lovely bronze lanterns donated by worshippers. Next visit the Iga-ryu Samurai and Ninja Museum where you will get to experience a katana sword demonstration. Return to Kyoto in time for dinner this evening. (B,D)

Day 9, Tuesday June 17: Departure

Depart for Kansai International Airport in Osaka for your return flight to the USA. (B)